Rummy

Rummy is the best-known of all family card games, largely because it is so simple. Any person with an understanding of the basic game can easily learn variations of this familiar standby.

Number of Players: From two to six

The Deck: Standard deck of 52 cards.

Rank of Cards: King (High), Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace (depending on the type of game you're playing, the ace can either be the highest or lowest rank in the deck)

Shuffle and cut the cards, generally the dealer will shuffle. The player at his right will cut.

The Deal: If there are two players, one card at a time is given, face down, to each player in rotation to the left, until each one has ten cards. Seven cards are dealt if three or four play. Six cards are dealt if five or six play. Remaining cards are stacked face down in the center of the table to form the stock. The top card of this stock is faced up and placed beside the stock to make the discard pile.

Purpose of play: You try to attain a hand of matched sets. For example, groups of three or four of a kin such as 9 of spades, 9 of diamonds, 9 of clubs, 9 of hearts. Alternatively, sequences of three or more cards of the same suit such as 9 of diamonds, 10 of diamonds, Jack of diamonds, Queen of diamonds. In a sequence, an ace is considered a low card.

The Play: The player seated to the left hand of the dealer begins by drawing one card - either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile and adds it to his hand. Each player does the same. Each one must then lay down on the table, face up, any matched set. Dscard one card, face up, on top of the discard pile. If you draw the top card of the discard pile, you may not discard it in the same turn.

Laying off: You may add one or more matching cards from your hand to any matched set are showing, add the fourth three, if 10, 9, 8, of hears are showing, add jack of hearts, or queen and jack of hearts, or 7 of hearts or 7 and 6 of hearts.

Going out: In this manner, if you get rid of all your cards, you win the game. If all of your remaining cards are matched, you may lay them down without discarding on your final turn.

If the last card of the stock has been drawn and no player has gone out or won, the next player in turn has the option of either selecting the top of the discard pile or turning the pile to form a new stock (without shuffling it) and drawing the top card, after which the game proceeds.

Scoring: Each game player pays the winner with the pip (symbol) value of cards still in his hand, regardless of whether they form a matched set or not. Face cards count 10 each. Aces are 1 each. Every other card has its pip value. You win or declare rummy when you get rid of all the cards in your hand in one turn, without previously having laid down or laid off any cards. WHen this happens, the other players pay you double.